Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 37: Mārīca Advises Rāvaṇa
Text 3.37.21
किमुद्यममिमं व्यर्थं कृत्वा ते राक्षसाधिप।
दृष्टश्चेत्त्वं रणे तेन तदन्तं तव जीवितम्॥
kim udyamam imaṁ vyarthaṁ kṛtvā te rākṣasādhipa
dṛṣṭaś cet tvaṁ raṇe tena tad-antaṁ tava jīvitam
kim = what; udyamam = endeavor; imam = in this; vyartham = useless; kṛtvā = by engaging; te = [can] you [achieve]; rākṣasa-adhipa = O protector of the rākṣasas; dṛṣṭaḥ = are seen; cet = if; tvam = you; raṇe = in battle; tena = by Him; tat-antam = [will last only] till then; tava = your; jīvitam = life.
By engaging in this useless endeavor, what [can] you [achieve], O protector of the rākṣasas? If you are seen in battle by Him, your life [will last only] till then.1
What result could Rāvaṇa achieve by endeavoring [to kidnap Sītā-devī]? It is useless.1
In the next verse, Mārīca says that [Rāvaṇa’s] happiness and so on, not just his life, cannot be preserved [if he goes ahead with his plan].2